The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $3,016,500 million through Rural Development in Illinois to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in rural areas of the state.
“Rural prosperity is built on a foundation of reliable, modern infrastructure,” said Doug Wilson, USDA Rural Development State Director for Illinois. “We’re working with our partners and the communities they serve to ensure rural residents have the clean, safe water they need for health and community sustainability.”
Funding through the Water and Waste Disposal program can be used to finance drinking water, storm water drainage and waste disposal systems for rural communities with 10,000 or fewer residents. Included in this Illinois investment are:
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The Village of Curran, receiving a $78,000 loan and $228,000 grant that will complete its sewer project so that residents will no longer need septic systems.
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The Kaskaskia Water District in St. Clair County, receiving a $650,000 loan on a project that includes renovations to an elevated storage tank, raw water intake, water transmission main, pump station and the water treatment plant itself.
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The North Morgan Water Cooperative, receiving a $1.2 million loan and $760,500 grant to construct an additional 32 miles of water line, serving 70 households in rural areas of Morgan County with safe, potable water.
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The Clark-Edgar Rural Water District, receiving a $100,000 loan to complete the Stratton East phase of their project, extending water lines to serve 19 new users in Edgar County.
The recently enacted Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Omnibus spending bill includes a significant boost in financial support for water and wastewater projects. It provides $5.2 billion for USDA loans and grants, up from $1.2 billion in FY 2017. It also directs Agriculture Secretary Perdue to make investments in rural communities with the greatest infrastructure needs.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.